Gold is one of the most famous metals on earth. Mankind has been mining it since time immemorial. For its yellow color, which is no longer characteristic of any metal, gold among many peoples has received the nickname "gift of the sun." Therefore, various ceremonial and everyday decorations were made from it, a statue of rulers was erected and the most valuable coins were minted.
Gold mining in Russia is associated primarily with the beginning of the XIX century, when Siberia was seized by a real fever. It is now impossible to establish for certain who started the rumor that one of the fugitive (according to other sources, exiled) peasants found a deposit with large nuggets in the bed of one of the rivers. But many industrialists of that time immediately went to the emperor to obtain a patent for development. Thus began the era of gold mining in Russia.
Surprisingly little has changed in terms of technology in almost two centuries since then. Of course, now no one washes out the golden sand with the help of wooden strainers, but the principle of extraction has remained the same. Its efficiency has only increased due to the use of the latest technologies. Now it is possible to choose even the smallest grains of sand among the garbage, which would be difficult to notice with the naked eye. All production is strictly controlled by the state, although numerous facts of illegal fishing are recorded every year.
The so-called "black miners" cause significant damage to the economy of the region, as they do not pay any deductions to the treasury. Artisanal gold mining is not as efficient as the industrial approach. But the owners of illegal mines still receive fabulous profits, and employees do not remain deprived.
Even despite the regular monitoring of observers, it is still possible to hide at least a dozen large nuggets, which then can be sold at a high price and earn much more than wages.
In total, there are two methods for extracting gold from the bowels of the earth. The use of a particular option depends on the type of metal being mined. If we are talking about nuggets, then they are mined by washing large volumes of earth containing a small amount of metal.
Therefore, often the mines are located near large rivers, so that there is regular access to a large amount of water. If we talk about gold-bearing ore, then it is mined by the mine method, and then sent for processing, as a result of which it is possible to extract pure metal from the rock.
In industry, the most applicable method is electrolytic gold mining, as it allows you to get metal of the highest standard, with a minimum amount of impurities. The process of gold mining from the moment of discovery of the deposit to its smelting into the target product is very interesting and informative. It is necessary to familiarize yourself with it for general development. You can watch a video on gold mining in Russia on the Internet.
These methods of extracting gold have been known to mankind for many centuries and more. effective method not yet invented. A century ago, many were ready to take on an adventure, sell all their property and go to the mines in search of untold riches.
But now, in many countries, illegal gold mining is a serious economic crime, so there are practically no people left who want to search for it. Although another type of "gold rush" has survived - the search for treasures. According to approximate estimates of scientists in the world, there are at least a hundred real caches, which contain several hundred kilograms of gold coins and jewelry.
Gold mining in the world at the moment is about 3 thousand tons per year. At the same time, more than half of all received metal goes to the production of jewelry and bullion coins. Only 12% is used in industry to create technical elements. The rest of the material is used to manufacture ingots of various weights, which are stored in the vaults of state banks.
This is done in order to form the so-called "gold reserve", which shows the welfare of the state and ensures its external debt to creditors. The higher this indicator for a country, the more seriously it is taken in the international arena and the easier it will be to receive a targeted loan from any state or organization.
In 2013, the following countries became the leaders in gold mining in the world:
At the moment, there are no particular trends towards an increase in gold production in the world. The figures have fluctuated at approximately the same level for many years. This is because many investments and savings of influential people are in gold and it is necessary to maintain a stable price for it. And the shortage or surplus of material in the market will cause significant fluctuations, which always worsen the condition of the financial sector.
Therefore, the powers that be are trying to maintain balance. And there is no special need for a sharp increase in production volumes, because gold is a rather rare metal, so it is difficult to extract it from the bowels. And the cost of each gram then goes to the finished product. And the growth of production volumes will immediately require huge investments, which will pay off for many years.
Traditionally, the extraction of the yellow precious metal is divided into industrial and non-industrial. In the case of non-industrial gold mining, we mean artisanal gold mining. This mining method is characterized, in particular, by the fact that it is usually practiced by small groups of gold miners. Large-scale gold mining will never be based on artisanal methods.
Gold mining, at its core, is a simple matter. To do this, you need to take a tray if available, and if it is not, then you can use, for example, a plastic basin and a shovel. With the use of such a simple tool, several badges of gold can be washed in the river in half a day.
Reference! The badge is a piece of gold that is barely visible to the eye, the size of which varies between 0.07-0.1 mm, and the mass of which is too small to be weighed.
In order for gold mining to become a truly profitable business for you, you need to have certain knowledge.
It is important to note that all large deposits, as a rule, have already been found and worked out.
“Artisanal” gold miners are left with only small deposits that were not included in the list of developed deposits either during the Soviet Union or after its collapse.
Artisanal gold mining is available to everyone
However, today gold miners are given the opportunity to extract the yellow precious metal from small placers, the development of which was not carried out in Soviet times.
As for the gold mining itself, it is important to note that the prospectors, before washing the placer, are looking for a site with a significant gold content, the indicator of which, as a rule, varies within a few grams per one ton of rock. To carry out this process, they hit pits along the banks, the depth of which reaches several meters.
If we talk specifically about the method of gold mining, in which only a washing tray is used, then it is worth noting that such a tool, as a rule, is a large cup with a rounded bottom and made of wood or metal.
It is interesting! As a rule, gold-bearing sand is rare in nature, so gold prospectors have to wash a mixture of sand, gravel, pebbles and other rocks in river water.
It is this mixture, which is mined in the pit, that is scooped up with a tray.
In this way, the algorithm of the gold miner's actions can be as follows:
Such concentrate has a black color, due to which gold particles will be clearly visible in it if they were in the washed rock.
Experts point out that one of the most professional and profitable ways of artisanal gold mining is the extraction of gold through the use of a tunnel.
Reference! A walkway is a wooden tray knocked down from several boards.
The passage is installed directly at the stream; water is supplied to it, which usually runs by gravity along a self-made water conduit. Water is taken a little further upstream.
Gold can be found in almost any body of water
The passage must be installed at a slight slope, special ribbed rubber mats should be laid on its bottom, on top of which a sheet of iron should be placed, in which holes are punched. It is on this metal sheet that the rock is poured, which must be stirred with a shovel.
Such progressive actions allow small fractions to fall into the washing tray, and large stones to "move" to the side.
Washing allows gold particles to linger on the mats, and waste rock to be carried away by water.
After a few hours, you need to carefully remove the rugs, and then collect gold from them.
At its core, metal detectors are geophysical instruments that are endowed with the ability to influence various metal (or metal-containing) objects that are in the ground. The operation of metal detectors is based on the electromagnetic principle.
Did you know that all, without exception, metal detectors are equipped with special antennas, which are made in the form of a ring or an ellipse. It is with the help of such an antenna that the device is endowed with the ability to emit electromagnetic waves that cause special currents in the search metal. Thanks to these currents, the target, that is, the metal, “generates” a response signal to the device, which, in turn, is picked up by the antenna. This signal is amplified as the distance between the instrument and the target decreases.
When considering the principles of operation of metal detectors, it is important to understand the term "anomaly".
So, anomalies in the context we are considering should be understood as any changes in the structure of the soil. Since the presence of various metals in the soil is not a normal state for the soil, we consider it (that is, the presence) as an anomaly.
The manifestation of an anomaly when working with metal detectors is accompanied by specific sound vibrations, the appearance of sounds that the metal detector emits.
The problem of searching for gold with a metal detector lies, in particular, in the fact that gold particles are usually small, and, accordingly, when they are detected, the metal detector will make subtle sounds. Revealing that a metal detector has detected gold is often quite difficult.
To important characteristics of metal detectors that you should pay attention to when choosing and purchasing them include:
Each of these characteristics must be studied in detail without fail and taken into account when choosing a metal detector.
In addition to metal detectors, other devices for artisanal gold mining have been invented and are successfully used today. Among them, for example, automated and (or) mechanized walkways and much more.
In general, there are many ways to artisanal gold mining. We have considered only a few of them. Summing up the article, we note the methods we have considered:
These methods can be roughly divided into two groups:
In modern conditions artisanal mining gold is becoming more and more available. However, do not forget that in the Russian Federation such activities are subject to mandatory special state registration. However, this is a topic for a separate article.
MINING WORKS (а. gold digging; n. Graberei, Grabereibetrieb; f. orpaillage; and. ocupaciones de lavadores, labores de buscadores) - a set of mining and exploitation work carried out by an artel of workers who voluntarily united for the extraction of minerals. Diligence has been known in Russia for a long time. The formation and development of prospecting work in Russia was facilitated by the "Mountain Privilege" published in 1719, which stated: "... everyone is allowed to and everyone is given free will, no matter what rank and dignity he was in all places, both on his own and on others lands - to search, dig, melt, boil and clean all kinds of metals: in other words - gold, silver, ". Until the middle of the 19th century. The development of the gold industry in Russia is largely due to the activities of pioneer prospectors who explored the vast "waste lands" of the country and revealed numerous ore and alluvial deposits and entire gold-bearing regions. Prospectors alone or in small artels penetrated remote hard-to-reach and uninhabited areas in order to find and extract precious metal. The equipment of a prospector-digger of those ancient times usually consisted of weapons, knapsacks with modest belongings, a pickaxe, a shovel and a washing tray (ladle). Many of the miners were reputed to be talented searchers-discoverers and organizers-gold miners. They developed and introduced many technical innovations and devices that became the property of domestic equipment and technology for prospecting and industrial development of precious metal deposits.
In pre-revolutionary times, the gold mined by miners was bought up by gold-alloy laboratories and gold miners. According to statistical data, the proportion of artisanal gold mining to the total in the country ranged from 100% in 1841 (10.8 tons) to 57% in 1913 (61.8 tons). The total number of miners in some years exceeded 150 thousand people.
The artisanal extraction of precious and scarce non-ferrous metals is carried out on the basis of large artels equipped with modern high-performance mining and processing equipment. Organizationally, the artel is a cooperative mining enterprise operating on the principles of full cost accounting, self-sufficiency and collective contracting with payment for the final result.
Prospecting work is carried out at deposits or their sections, the development of which by the mining enterprise considers it inexpedient on its own. Mining is carried out by artels within the mining allotment of the enterprise in accordance with projects approved in the prescribed manner. Payment for ore, metal, concentrate, etc., handed over by the artel of prospectors of a mining enterprise, is made in the manner prescribed by current legislation. As the deposit (plot) is worked out, the miners' artel is obliged to bring the lands disturbed during the miners' work into a safe and suitable state for their use in the national economy. In addition to mining operations for the extraction of minerals, the artel of miners can carry out exploration of deposits, as well as general construction, logging, road, transport and other types of work both for a mining enterprise that is in contractual relations with it for the extraction of minerals, and for located in the areas of activity of this artel of geological organizations and institutions of the executive committees of local Soviets of People's Deputies on the basis of agreements (not to the detriment of the performance of mining operations). The procedure and special conditions for the conduct of prospecting work and the specifics of the production and economic activities of the artels of prospectors are regulated by the current legislation of the CCCP.
How gold is mined largely depends on where it is located. In most cases, miners look for this precious metal along the banks of rivers and streams, since the presence of water is a necessary condition for its effective separation from waste rock.
Before washing, miners first look for an area with a sufficiently high gold content - usually a few grams per ton of rock. To do this, pits several meters deep are beaten along the banks, the rock taken out from one or another depth is washed. If it is possible to detect gold, its content in the rock is determined and a decision is made to start mining.
The simplest washing tray is made of wood or metal and looks like a large cup with a rounded bottom. Films about artisanal gold mining often show how a gold digger scoops up gold-bearing sand with a tray and washes streams or rivers in the water. But in practice, gold sand is very rare, usually a mixture of gravel, small pebbles, sand and other rocks.
It is this mixture, mined in the pit, that is scooped up by the tray. Having approached the water, it is necessary to lower the tray into the water and begin to rotate the rock in it with smooth movements. Interestingly, the large stones do not sink to the bottom of the tray, as might be expected, but move to its edge and fall out. Gradually, all the stones, including the smallest ones, are washed out of the tray, the so-called concentrate remains in it - particles of solid minerals of high density. It is black in color, gold particles are very clearly visible in it - if they were in the washed rock.
More professional and profitable is the extraction of gold with the help of a tunnel - a wooden tray knocked down from several boards. It is installed near the stream, water is supplied to it. As a rule, it runs by gravity along a makeshift conduit, water is taken a little upstream.
The tray is at a slight slope, ribbed rubber mats are laid on its bottom. A sheet of iron with holes punched in it is placed on top. Rock is poured on it and stirred with a shovel - small fractions fall into the washing tray, and large stones are raked from the sheet to the side.
When washing, gold particles are retained on the mats, waste rock is carried away by water. After a certain time, usually a few hours, the rugs are carefully removed, and gold is collected from them.
Currently, many companies offer modern, efficient equipment for artisanal gold mining. In the catalogs you can find a wide variety of installations that can greatly facilitate the work of the prospector. There are both the simplest tunnels, light and comfortable, and complex expensive equipment that pays for itself only if it works in rich gold areas.
Many people want to feel like a prospector and, having a walk in nature, process part of the gold-bearing rock. But not only as an experiment, many would like to earn a living this way. Is artisanal gold mining legal and how can I get a license?
The simplest method of extraction is manual, using a tray. This method is only suitable for loose deposits. It is usually used in shallow waters with a strong current, that is, in rivers that originate in the mountains.
Finding gold in the river
This method can also be used without a tray. The method is suitable for beginners and does not require any investments. It is enough to take a basin and go to a place where, apparently, there is gold. Next, immerse the bottom sand in the basin and rinse it little by little under running water. This ensures that the sand will gradually go away, and only large rocks will remain at the bottom. After extracting very large stones, you will have to manually extract gold from the concentrate.
Mining with a tray allows you to get about a hundred milligrams of gold per day. As a rule, this is barely enough "for food", so gold mining mainly takes place in developing countries.
It is believed that another similar method, using the so-called passer, is much more profitable. This is the name of a special long wooden tray, knocked down from several. The device is installed near the stream, water is supplied to it, flowing by gravity along the conduit. As a rule, such a conduit is made manually. Upstream, water is drawn.
The passage itself is installed at a slight slope, and special rubber mats with ribs are laid on its bottom. A sheet of iron with pre-punched holes is installed on top of the rugs. The rock is poured directly onto the sheet, it must be mixed with a shovel during the extraction process. In this case, small fractions fall into the washing tray, and large fractions move aside. Particles of gold are set on a rug, waste rock is carried away by water. A few hours later, the gold is removed along with the rugs.
The exceptions are America and Australia. In these countries, such a license can be purchased for as little as $30, so anyone can become a miner. Such an industry does not usually bring in the income that the average resident of the country receives, so it is rather a hobby. About a ton of metal per year is contributed by small miners to the world's supply of the precious metal.
In Russia, artisanal mining is prohibited and punishable by restriction of freedom. And if this is done by a group, then they can be conditionally imprisoned for seven years.
Many experts believe that it is necessary to reduce the cost of a gold mining license, by analogy with America. The fact is that due to the ban, approximately a tenth of all mined metal falls on illegal mining with subsequent illegal sale. All this does not bring profit to the state.
Another method of non-industrial gold mining is the search for precious metal using a metal detector. A metal detector is a geophysical device that has the ability to influence metal or metal-containing objects in the ground. Each detector is equipped with an antenna in the form of a ring or an ellipse. Using such an antenna, the device emits electromagnetic waves that cause a certain current in metals. Due to this current, the metal generates a reference signal, which the device receives, and determines how far the target is.
In order to determine the principle of operation of a metal detector, it is necessary to adopt such a concept as an anomaly. It refers to any changes in the structure of the soil. Since metals are not found in the soil in the usual state, their presence is considered as an anomaly. When the metal detector detects anomalies, it reacts to them with sound signals: a change in sound signals is considered a sign of the presence of metal in the ground.
The problem is that gold particles tend to be small. But metal objects of various origins, iron ore or ores of other metals in the ground are quite common. This leads to a false alarm of the device and the search for gold is difficult. There are certain instruments that can distinguish gold from other metals, but they are in the more expensive category.
When buying a metal detector, the characteristics to consider include:
And there are also specially designed devices for searching for gold underwater, which is very convenient. A good metal detector, with which it will really be possible to find something worthwhile and make money on it, will be very expensive. Such devices often have a large search area, high sensitivity and the ability to adjust various parameters, such as search depth. Often they are equipped with a color screen and have additional functions.
An important option is noise reduction. This helps to weed out other electromagnetic signals. In particular, some metal detectors may behave inappropriately if there is a transformer substation or other strong emitter of electromagnetic waves within the search area.
So, gold was found, but most often gold nuggets have impurities, for example, silver or quartz. Or when mining, too small particles of gold are obtained, mixed with sand or concentrate. In order to extract gold without involving industrial equipment, there are three main ways:
The first method is used if the gold fractions do not exceed a millimeter in diameter. The technology is simple: the metal dissolves in mercury and an amalgam is obtained. Then the rock is separated using a fine mesh. In the resulting solution, gold is about half, it is obtained by evaporating the solution. Now this method is not very often used due to the fact that the gold is not very pure, and also because mercury vapor is very harmful to humans.
The second method includes leaching, concentration and purification of the metal. Leaching occurs due to the interaction of cyanide with oxygen, after which the concentrate is removed using activated carbon, filtered and calcined. In this case, it is possible to obtain a purer metal, but cyanide vapor is even more dangerous than mercury vapor. In essence, zoning is a hydrometallurgical process. At first, only potassium cyanide was used for this method, then they also switched to calcium cyanide. In addition, it was found that fine crushing gives better results compared to coarse.
The third method involves the use of hydrochloric acid and chlorine, which dissolve the gold, after which it is fused into an ingot.
It is legally allowed to mine gold only at industrial facilities where the volume of the deposit is registered by the state. During the exploration of the deposit, reporting documentation is prepared, geological work is carried out, which can only be done by a large enterprise. This work includes determining the quota for metal mining, obtaining a land allotment, and so on.
For a while it was supposed to make the procedure for obtaining a license the same as in Australia or America. A simplified procedure for obtaining a license would enable many to start the process of gold mining and, perhaps, even make money on it. A bill was even registered, but the issue was dropped. Opponents of the law argued that artisanal mining is meaningless, since the volume of metal is small and the industrial method is enough. And besides, working with lead, cyanide and mercury is very dangerous for humans.
Two types of bypassing the gold mining ban are currently in use:
Most of all, artisanal gold mining is widespread in African countries, where it is actually a way of survival for many people. Several million are involved in this field. In these countries, artisanal mining is carried out, as a rule, at deposits that have already been worked out by industrial companies.
